This tutorial shows how to insert files into existing files in Microsoft Word. We will also look at an advanced method that allows us to insert files while maintaining each file’s headers and footers.

Table of Contents

You may be wondering…

What Is the Difference between Inserting Files and Copying and Pasting Files?

When you insert Word files, you can insert more than two files at a time (PC only) with their original formatting. You can also maintain headers and footers if you insert one file at a time.

Conversely, the copy and paste method makes it easier to merge formatting, but it’s difficult to copy and paste multiple files or maintain headers and footers.

For more information about copying and pasting, please see “How to Cut, Copy, and Paste in Microsoft Word,” and “How to Cut, Copy, and Paste in Word for Mac.”

This tutorial’s companion video shows all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 250 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

In addition, these steps apply to Word for Mac (Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2021 for Mac, Word 2019 for Mac, and Word 2016 for Mac). However, Word for Mac users can currently only insert one file at a time using the process shown here.

How to Insert Files into Existing Files

Place your cursor in the document where you want to insert the additional file or files.
Select the Insert tab.

Insert tab in Word 365 — Figure 1. Insert tab

Select the Object menu arrow in the Text group.

Object menu arrow in Word 365 — Figure 2. Object menu arrow

Select Text from File from the drop-down menu.

Text from File option in the Object menu in Word 365 — Figure 3. Text from File menu

Locate and select the file or files in the Insert File dialog box, and then select the Insert button.

Important Note: The files will be inserted in the order they appear in the Insert File dialog box, not in the order of selection.

Insert button in the Insert File dialog box in Word 365 — Figure 4. Insert button

The file or files you selected should be inserted into the original file.

How to Insert Files with Headers and Footers

Select the Home tab.

Home tab in Word 365 — Figure 5. Home tab

Select the Show/Hide button in the Paragraph group to reveal your formatting marks.

Show Hide button in Word 365 — Figure 6. Show/Hide button

Place your cursor before the final paragraph mark on the page before you want to insert the file.

Cursor before the final paragraph mark on a page in Word 365 — Figure 7. Cursor before the final paragraph mark on the page before the file should be inserted

Select the Layout tab.

Layout tab in Word 365 — Figure 8. Layout tab

Select the Breaks button in the Page Setup group.

Breaks button in Word 365 — Figure 9. Breaks button

Select Next Page from the drop-down menu.

Next Page option in the Breaks menu in Word 365 — Figure 10. Next Page section break option

Select the Insert tab (see figure 1).
Select the Object menu arrow in the Text group (see figure 2).
Select Text from File from the drop-down menu (see figure 3).
Locate and select the file in the Insert File dialog box, and then select the Insert button (see figure 4).

The file should be inserted with its headers and footers. The headers and footers in the original file should not be affected.

Related Resources

How to Insert Section Breaks in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

How to Insert PDFs into Microsoft Word Documents (PC & Mac)

Updated August 21, 2023